Many years ago, we were on a camping trip when our site was visited by this hungry, shy, but sweet dog. This dog had no tag and stayed around us the whole time, and it was apparent she didn’t have a home. We fell in love with her right away. On the morning we prepared to return home, I wrapped this dog in a sheet and carefully placed her in our vehicle. The next day we took her to the vet. Got all her shots, bathed her, and treated her for fleas.
And we gave her a name, Bonnie. For the next 12 years, Bonnie was a big part of our family.
Bonnie went from being a malnourished stray … to eating like a queen.
She went from roaming the woods alone… to having a family to play with in her own yard.
From sleeping in the cold …. to sleeping in her own warm space. Bonnie had a new life and a new name.
And this is what Jesus does. Those who follow Jesus receive a new life and a new name.
Potential. Seeing something special in someone.
There once was a fisherman named Simon. He was an impulsive, hot-headed man who had a foot-shaped mouth. He was always saying something before he thought about it. And then one day, a man named Jesus comes along.
Andrew, Simon’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who would follow Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We found the Messiah, that is the Christ!’ And he brought him to Jesus, and Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, but now you will be Peter’” – John 1:40-42.
The name Peter comes from the Greek word Petra, which means rock. Jesus is saying, “You’re a ROCK!”
No one else saw this in Simon. On the outside, everyone saw an unstable guy, impulsive, always speaking out of turn, always flying off the handle, and making promises he couldn’t keep. But Jesus looked past all that because He saw something, and He named it, and gave Simon a new name. And you need to know that in the world of that day, a name carried a lot of weight.
Because Jesus sees something in Simon that no one else sees, and He calls him out of his boat, and into a new life. Jesus saw the potential for a strong, dynamic spiritual leader. And Jesus gives Simon a new name.
Jesus said, “Now, I’m going to tell you who you really are. You are Peter! And this is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
And for Peter, this was the beginning of a total life transformation. Sure, Peter would still make mistakes, just like we all do. But deep inside, he was a new creation with a new name. And again, back in ancient times, a name really meant something. When you were named, it conveys your identity, mission, destiny, and future.
Well, Jesus is a name-giver. And in the same way, Jesus sees something in us that no one else sees.
I just want to ask you, have you heard your new name?
What name are you living out today? Because I know for many people, the label they carry around their neck feels like a millstone; it pulls them down. Listen, I don’t know what word, or label, what you or someone else has given you. Failure, loser, sinner, whatever. Forget about those!
Because Jesus says … it’s a brand-new day, a fresh opportunity, a new name. You don’t have to have to live out that old label. You don’t have to live out that old name. You have the potential to be a new person, with a new mission, a new identity. You have the potential to be the person God designed you to be when He thought you up.
Because according to Jesus, you are the light of the world. You are a child of the living God. Jesus says you are His chosen friend.
Remember, the first most important day of your life is the day you were born; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. And the second most important day in your life is the day you discover … why. When that happens, you will hear Jesus give you your new name. Because Jesus sees your heart.